I'm writing on behalf of a dear friend and colleague who is currently experiencing injustice from Stoke Council in relation to her daughter's special educational needs. Stoke Local Authority are currently denying Nadia the funding that she needs to go to a college where she can gain recognised qualifications that will allow her to gain a job in the hospitality industry and to gain the skills she needs to live as independently as possible. Nadia should have the same rights as any young person in achieving her goals of becoming independent and working and contributing to society in a meaningful way. Too many people with special educational needs are being turned down the opportunity by their local authorities to gain the educational and social environment they so need to enable them to reach their potential in life. Nadia, Celeste's 20 year old daughter has Downs Syndrome and significant developmental delay. Despite her special needs, Nadia is a strong-minded, confident and perceptive young woman. Nadia is very able to express her wishes and needs but I think because she has a stammer the council think she is incapable of having any ideas about her future. She has strong views on her plans for her future and wants to be as independent as she can and contribute to society in a meaningful way. Celeste has always supported Nadia in her wishes and needs. She has had to fight for Nadia's rights, especially educational, all of Nadia's life. She is now having to take Nadia's case to appeal but this won't happen until November and Nadia needs to start college in September. Nadia is very distressed about not knowing what is going to happen to her future aims. Celeste has jumped through all of the hoops that the council have asked of her and she is currently receiving no information back from them. Foxes Academy are offering Open Days to their new recruits so that they can look around the facilities and the accommodation but Nadia can not go as she is not guaranteed a place. This is having a major impact on her mental health. Celeste is not the only parent struggling with the lack of information, and sometimes tactics, that the local authority offer. Most parents end up giving up at the last hurdle as they are too emotionally and financially exhausted to deal with the obstacles that the LA put in place. Please can we put pressure on Stoke Council to allow Nadia to go to Foxes. It will not only be an investment in Nadia's future contribution to society but may also end up being a cheaper alternative than other measures that will need to be put in place to allow Nadia some independence.

Because being disabled like myself I have experienced driving my chair down a pavement that was too high a dip. And I have seen other people who are disabled have problems with pavements. I want them more accessible.

This petition is important to me as I have higher functioning autism, & unfortunately Ive have had to attend those nonsensical “Work Assessments.” Those assessments are clearly designed to rid people off the welfare system regardless if the claimants have a disability or not. On two or three separate occasions I’ve had to take the DWP to the tribunal & all times the courts have reversed the DWP’s wrongful decision & placed me back into the care component of the ESA benefit (of which I am currently claiming). Ideally it would be great if the DWP would actually scrap the work assessments for people with disabilities, & instead work with the disabled of society without the threat of benefit sanctions. The current DWP system was implemented by the Ian Duncan Smith, a man notorious for wreaking havoc on the welfare state to satisfy his hatred toward those claiming benefits. The current status of the DWP hasn’t changed & is seriously out of date & needs a major overhaul. There currently is no “fairness & equality” for the disabled of society who need these vital benefits to simply live, & yet the DWP are still harshly Implementing the bias Work Assessments.

Crime + Investigation Channel UK have no subtitles or closed captions for the deaf and hearing impaired in the UK. There are approximately 12 million people in the UK that require subtitles to understand the programs that they broadcast. It is unacceptable that this channel will still not provide this service to the deaf and hard of hearing.

it helps making wheelchair users life easier by allowing them access to cross roads (safely!) and be independent inclusion in our local community and is a basic essential. therefore and I deserve to feel equal and there for my access.

It's important because I have to attend appointments with anticoagulant almost every week and also need doctor

I have to park further away as some residents have more than two cars parked I have mobility issues but not enough to get a disabled line

It is important for the DWP to officially declare this as Medical Disability which has No cure just medications but they don't really work also if you have it you should automatically be able to claim pip for it as affects your nervous system so difficult to just to do normal things about house etc it also make you have dizzy spells lack of use of arms legs mobility as constant pain . Have to have help with care and cooking etc also cant go out much as No energy and breathing problems this is Something that Needs to be Classed as Permanent disability it is in other countries.

I know from suffering with fibromyalgia myself and how it also affects others that we are vulnerable also. Even coming down with common cold can have many more complications for a sufferer than a otherwise healthy person. I rarely pick up one bug or virus, it often comes with another such as chest infections, tonsillitis and more. Suggesting that these illnesses certainly do have a huge impact on a sufferers immune system. However this and other invisible chronic illnesses are not listed as auto immune diseases. Let alone recognised as a disability.

Over 8 million people who care for relatives at home are being ignored. Many of us are shielding vulnerable people, we can’t get delivery slots because we’re not on the most vulnerable list. We don’t want to go out for fear of bringing the virus home. When we can get deliveries they’re more expensive because we’re having to order from specialist, local shops. We are being expected to cope on our own, with extremely limited budgets and no support. We work 24/7 taking the strain off the NHS and social services by caring for our loved ones and we are being IGNORED.

This is important as carers that look after family members do a hard job like myself we are just like a doctor, nurse or even someone that works in a care home as we work all day and night cleanIng and looking after our loved ones. I myself was walking full time as was my partner until she got these disability in 2010. We are a group of people that do a fantastic job but unfortunately we are forgotten about and now is the time to high light this problem so that all carers including myself get a proper living wage.

The council are completely failing to uphold their obligations to those with disabilities and protected characteristics by infringing their right to practice their religion and faith, access to and use of goods, facilities and services, including access to public buildings, shops and leisure facilities and to healthcare, housing and transport, membership of private clubs and use of their facilities. The council has a duty as well as the general rules against subjecting people with disabilities to disability discrimination, most public authorities are under two other duties to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, amongst others. They are also legally required to have due regard to: * promote equality of opportunity between people with a disability and people without (Section 75) * promote positive attitudes towards people with a disability (Section 49A) * encourage the participation of people with a disability in public life (Section 49A) The plans to change the use of area are enforcing completely unfair restrictions and alternatives that are indirectly and directly discriminating against those with Disabilities as they will allow Hirsts and Market Trader traffic to use it but no longer allow access to those who need dropping off outside the door. Some have incredibly heavy and large electric wheelchairs, some that have failed to work in recent months and have required pushing. The councils 'reasonable adjustments' of enforcing that the disabled people must be dropped off at the bottom of the hill and make their way up there is a disgrace. It is a steep and challenging hill for the more able-bodied, let alone those in wheelchairs or their carers. They have already been unfairly restricted by having a very narrow time limit enforced for blue badge parking in the town only between the hours of 11 am and 4 pm which automatically impacts their ability to attend groups and appointments. The council is causing so much disruption with their plans for changing Kendal's town center which is already negatively affecting shops, shoppers and services and now religious freedom and Disability rights, completely disregarding their legal obligations. The Unitarian Chapel has already spent the last few years heavily investing in a new sensory garden and environmental space which is in the process of being rolled out. A large part of this has been to make the Garden space relaxing tranquility for all and have made the plans wheelchair friendly. The council's decisions are not only affecting those who currently attend the Chapel but those new visitors or residents who will be welcomed to spend time in and use the sensory garden in the future. Please sign this petition in support of our Disabled brothers and sisters and stop the infringement of laws and rights that are designed to uphold everyone's rights and ability to access services, groups, and places of worship.